The State of Jazz

What are now known as Jazz Standards, were IMO pop songs of the day. Any good Jazz band can and does "Jazz up" pop songs. One that comes to mind is Mile Davis version of "Time After Time". I suspect there are many more . . .

The targeted audience has a significant role. I played in a band for a while, and we had some members who worked diligently at creating new music and arrangements. During our gigs, the audiences were always very polite with the new stuff. It was the standards, however, that they really liked and wanted more of. Artists who want to sell jazz recordings have to consider the targeted market. A successful musician (in terms of recordings sold) will have good marketing in addition to good musicianship. Yes, even the standards of classical music had a money trail!

I think Mapman is correct in that the volumes of information available via the internet make it very difficult for the audiences to quickly elevate some pieces as standards. I suspect it may take a while before the standards from today's generation separate themselves from the rest. Even then, it may not be a clear separation.

I think some "magic" has to take place for a piece to become a standard. It isn't just about creativity, or the musician, or the tune. It isn't just about the recipient, or the story being told. There isn't a simple formula. There is a connection somewhere though. Perhaps the changing of tastes have created an environment where the connections are very few and far between...

Look up "the great American songbook". The standards arose from a specific set of circumstances that for the most part no longer exists.

I also agree with Pgawan's comments about audience preference.

Personally, I'd look to Steven Sondheim (and a handful of others) for the "standard" songbook of tomorrow. This is the community of songwriters still working the classic elements of songcraft in IMHO interesting ways. However....

Adventurous contemporary artists (whether jazz, pop, or classical) continue to explore new avenues of expression that may or may not prove long-lived. For me, there's often joy in the exploration and I don't worry about how history ultimately views the efforts.

There was a huge swap about 5 years ago in jazz for every "popular" jazz artist to do a standards album. Ms Krall was just one of those artists who did standards all along.

If you want to hear what is really going on in the jazz world then go hang out over at www.allaboutjazz.com

Enjoy